The design of the logo for the 2012 Olympic Games is causing a fuss in Britain. The London organizing committee's newly unveiled design has met a storm of criticism.
Rather than follow the path of designs from recent host cities, in which the logos depict something of the host city, the London organizers have gone for a jagged four-block design they described as powerful and modern. It has been met with a chorus of disapproval from across Britain.
The last time London hosted the Olympic Games was in 1948, when the logo pictured a discus thrower in front of Big Ben. The newly unveiled logo has tapped much more into the Cool Britannia themes of the past decade — no men in bowler hats, no London landmarks.
It draws more on street graffiti seen on the walls of today's London: four jagged shapes depicting the numbers 2012 in bright colors.
The London 2012 Web site terms the logo "dynamic, modern and flexible," noting that it will easily transfer between different media.
"It will become London 2012's visual icon," the text reads, "instantly recognizable amongst all age groups, all around the world."
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